Executive Director - Continuing and Online Education

Executive Director - Continuing and Online Education

Posted:            July 1, 2022

Classification: Manager 3

Hours: Full-Time, 40 Hours Per Week

Department:   School of Graduate & Professional Studies

Search #:         MC22-002

Closing Date:  July 29, 2022

Southern Connecticut State University is an intentionally diverse and student-centered University dedicated to academic excellence, access, and service for the public good. Southern provides a supportive and welcoming environment for all members of its community through a campus wide commitment to social justice.  Founded as a teacher’s college in 1893, Southern has evolved over the past century into a comprehensive public university of more than 8,000 students, offering graduate and undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and professional disciplines. It is one of four universities in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System. The University is located in New Haven, a city rich with arts and culture, and less than 90 miles from New York City and 140 miles from Boston.

Reporting to the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, the Executive Director of Continuing and Online Education (EDCOE) is primarily responsible for successfully enhancing and launching financially sustainable and growing online programs and collaborating with stakeholders to support design and implementation of the University’s overall continuing and online education strategy.

The EDCOE is a member of the Dean’s Cabinet and responsible for directing the activities of the Office of Continuing and Online Education. Such responsibility includes playing a major role in major personnel decisions, including staffing, hiring, firing, evaluation, promotion, and training of employees of the Office.

The EDCOE will serve as primary liaison between SCSU colleges/schools and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and function as a key support assisting the SGPS Dean and Academic Affairs administration in facilitating coordination, planning, and implementation of online, not-for-credit, and for credit continuing education programs.

The Executive Director will work closely with Deans and Associate Deans as well as the Office of Online Learning, the Division of Academic Affairs, and the Division of Information Technology, in two specific activity domains:

1. Lead planning and development and launching of new non-credit on-ground, online, hybrid, and blended continuing education (CE) initiatives for the university.
2. Support faculty initiatives for developing new online degree and for-credit certificate program.

These roles will support and facilitate the coordination of efforts across academic affairs and other university divisions/departments in the design and planning, business and marketing plan development, program launch, policy and procedures implementation, operationalization, and assessment of new (and existing) online degree and nondegree (continuing education) programs.

The incumbent will be responsible for identifying and assessing new nondegree (continuing education) program opportunities, develop go-to-market strategies, establish partnership agreements, support interdisciplinary collaborations, and drive curricular innovation and agility for developing a portfolio of online, hybrid, and on- ground programs that are responsive to and reflective of emerging market demands. The Executive Director will manage the support staff as well as steward the new program startup budgets.

SUPERVISION:

Supervises and directs the activities of employees of a lower grade as assigned.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:

The incumbent will be responsible for identifying and assessing new nondegree (continuing education) program opportunities, develop go-to-market strategies, establish partnership agreements, support interdisciplinary collaborations, and drive curricular innovation and agility for developing a portfolio of online, hybrid, and on- ground programs that are responsive to and reflective of emerging market demands. The Executive Director will manage the support staff as well as steward the new program startup budgets. The following examples of duties illustrate the general range of tasks assigned to the position, but are not intended to define the limits of required duties. Other essential duties may be assigned consistent with the general scope of the position.

Broad Administrative Duties:

• Will help support online program development collaborative work across various, relevant stakeholders within academic affairs.
• Will lead planning and implementation of new continuing education non- credit online, hybrid, and on- campus programs, overseeing enrollment management, marketing and communications, information technology, program delivery, and student support services.
• Provide administrative oversight over external relationships and contracts related to continuing education and online program operations, procedures, and initiatives.
• In collaboration with the Office for Institutional Research, provide data and research support to faculty to facilitate their decision making with respect to strategic positioning of online degree programs for success based on market research and trends.
• Coordinate processes and market research support services, and manage collaboration with various university departments and off-campus partners, including the state’s online college, Charter Oak College, for professional development and continuing education programs.
• Support SGPS strategic initiatives to expand Southern Connecticut State University’s online brand, marketing reach, and overall impact of the University’s online and continuing education initiatives.
• Monitor and assess online degree programs’ enrollment patterns and trends, student satisfaction and success, and other key performance indicators to support faculty decisions aimed at improving the programs and enhancing student satisfaction.
• Benchmark with peer and aspirational institutions to build more effective operations, programs, and practices.
• Ensure best practice to approaches of online and continuing education

Specific Operations and Management Tasks:

• Perform research and due diligence to support planning and promotion of online and continuing education programs.
• Work collaboratively with the Office of Online Learning to ensure best approaches in education and technology.
• Implement Project Management and Business Process Management practices for successful and on-time launches of online and CE initiatives. Identify and facilitate engagement of appropriate stakeholders in decision making and decision implementation encompassing all areas of online and CE education.
• Assess and evaluate all critical resource inputs —financial, human capital, and technological— required to successfully deliver on the project(s).
• Build and implement a sustainable financial and budgeting model for the financing and operations of various projects.
• Setup, monitor, and ensure compliance with project timelines to help accomplish various objectives.
• Prepare business plans for various projects to analyze and evaluate the business and programmatic impact of the proposed online and CE programs.
• Design and manage the workflow and process elements of CE and Online projects.
• Coordinate communications and interactions across stakeholders, cross-divisional teams, and senior administrative groups.
• Arrive at decisions in a manner that reflects inclusivity and shared governance as guiding principles of organizational decision making.
• Collaborate with various departments and divisions to prepare marketing plans to successfully launch new programs.
• Determine relevant regional corporate and community needs/desires for online and continuing education programs.
• Manage cross-functional teams on information collection and data management, operational planning, tracking project milestones, and proposing necessary adjustments for plans of action.
• Complete any other tasks assigned by the SGPS Dean for effective and efficient functioning of the Online and Continuing Education Programs.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Incumbents will have a demonstrable record of collaborative, creative, effective, and ethical leadership in innovative online and CE learning environments. The incumbent will possess the highest level of commitment to Southern’s Social Justice mission of advancing student success by creating a portfolio of programs that are accessible, affordable, and inclusive. The incumbent will be a self-starter, entrepreneurial, and collaborative team player possessing the following qualification:

• Master’s degree required. Terminal degree in relevant field preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience leading/managing a functional unit with at least 2 years of higher education experience in project management and program development, including budgeting, program planning, and program/project evaluation within the broad functional domains of CE and online education.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategic plans, policies, and sustainable practices. Demonstrated ability to provide effective leadership, management, and team building in a complex organization of higher education.
• Appropriate technological skills to ensure a fluid discourse between divisions of academic affairs and information technology.
• Evidence of background in due diligence and research experience in areas of higher education, policy, and online delivery technology.
• Ability to work well with all levels of professionals within a matrixed system of the university community, utilizing good interpersonal and organizational skills and a broad knowledge of online program competitive landscape as well as best practices in design and delivery of online graduate, and continuing education programs.

APPLICATION:

Application materials must be submitted electronically. Applicants should submit their resume and a letter of application, along with the names, and telephone numbers of at least three professional references to SGPS-Application@southernct.edu. Please reference “Executive Director - Continuing and Online Education” in the subject line of all emails. A review of applications will begin immediately and the position will be open until filled.

Southern Connecticut State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University seeks to enhance the diversity of its faculty and staff.  People of color, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.